Chapter 421
Oriana:
It was the most awkward fifteen minutes of my life. When Yorick arrived and started to throw a huge fit, he was taken away from us.
I looked at the way the others were watching me. I wondered what they were thinking. They were probably feeling bad for me, and I hated it. I did not want to be that pitiful girl anymore. I wanted to be the woman who would be Luna.
I kept my hands tied in front of my body, looking timid in the presence of everyone, while Yorick’s mother went into the basement to have a word with him.
When I heard footsteps coming upstairs, my heart started to thump harder in my chest. I wondered what he had decided. What if he accepted the death penalty? That would be terrible.
However, the minute they arrived and his mother gave a nod to the headmaster, I let out a deep breath in secrecy. He was ready. I wanted to smile, but that would catch attention.
Yorick walked up and stood straight in front of me. There seemed to be fire in his eyes, but I did not care.
He would be angry for a little while, and then he would have to give in. I always believed no one could resist their mate. And after he marked me, even if I was his chosen mate, I would still be bonded to him.
“So, Yorick, I hope you understand this punishment is necessary. She is the kindest one to give you the least extreme punishment, otherwise your fate was to die in front of everyone in disgrace,” my stepmother stated, stepping forward to explain why this punishment was chosen.
I had heard her tell me that a lot of people were complaining about why they decided to get me married to my rapist. They did not like it.
They thought it was a reward instead of a punishment. However, my stepmother told them the reason was that Yorick had been mentally challenged after visiting the North, in which case he was not entirely to be blamed.
But since a crime was committed and I was traumatized too, it was better if some punishment was given to Yorick.
As Yorick stood in front of me, I tried hard not to smile. In fact, I tried hard not to smirk in his face. I wanted to remind him of his words, the way he threatened me the other day, telling me to stay away from Clementine.
And now here he was, standing so close to me, unable to escape. I wanted to laugh because, to be honest, he would be out of the list of the men Clementine would ever choose from.
Yorick proceeded with accepting me. He stepped forward. I briefly noticed his friends standing at a distance and watching him. Everybody else was ready to gossip about this moment.
“I, Alpha Yorick Bane, accept Oriana as my chosen mate,” he finished without any shakiness in his voice, and my body shuddered at the confidence he was suddenly displaying.
“Oriana, you may go ahead now,” the headmaster stated.
I gave him a nod and faced Yorick.
“I, Oriana, accept Alpha Yorick as my mate and my partner for life,” I whispered before I hugged myself and turned my face to the other side, because I let a little slip happen, acting like it was a marriage built on love.
“Now the two of you may mark each other,” the headmaster stated.
I felt the result I wanted so close, almost within reach.
I lifted my chin and tilted my head to the side to expose my neck to Yorick. I could feel every eye in the hall focused on us. My palms had started to sweat a lot, but I hid them by gripping my shirt.
We had changed into our uniforms to go back to the North, of course on a mission. I took a deep breath, and then Yorick stepped closer.
He leaned in, and I felt his breath on my shoulder. Then his mouth pressed against my neck.
The bite came out of nowhere. He did not wait or give any warning. He bit me with force. My fists clenched beside my body.
Sharp pain shot through my spine. It felt as if he was trying to make it worse than it needed to be. But I held my breath, and my eyes started to water.
I refused to let out a sound. I wanted this ceremony to go uninterrupted, and he was taking full advantage of it.
For a moment, it scared me. If he was this rough in front of others, what would he do when we were alone? It seemed like he was extremely angry with me.
But I decided to absorb the pain for now, and later I could make amends with him. Once I came back from the North and he was discharged from the academy, he would realize it was not that bad to start over.
When he pulled back, I also took one step back. I lifted my head to look at him while my hand reached for the mark. It stung.
Then I noticed the way his eyes stared back at me. There was something dark in them. For a moment, I doubted this agreement. I swallowed hard and pushed the uneasiness down. I could not let it interfere with my marriage, my goal, or my achievement.
I straightened my posture and approached him. I placed my mouth near his neck and bit him. The moment I did, a twitch ran through my chest. It ached in a strange way. Maybe this was because he had not broken the bond with his fated mate yet, but it was fine.
The minute I stepped back after marking him, I felt a rush of strength spread through me. It felt like I was given more power now that I was marked by an alpha.
Everyone around us clapped. However, it lacked excitement because, to be honest, it was not an event filled with joy. It was still a punishment for one of us.
I faced the entire hall. At this point, I could not help but allow a small smirk. It felt like a moment of victory for me against the people in this hall who thought Oriana could never rise again or stand after everything that happened.